Ladder-truck.



H. J. BUTLER.

LADDER TRUCK. APPLICATION FILED JAN. so, 1914.

Patented Oct. 6, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEBT 1.

. .nhe LArHo., wAsHINGrON. D. C.

H J. BUTLER- LADDER TRUCKv APPLICATION Hmm umso. 1914.

1, 1 1 3, 1 O0. Patented 001:. 6, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

THE NORRIS FE7ER5 CD.. PHTO-L/THO.. WASHNGTUN. D. C.

IaAItitY` J. BUTLER, F SAN JosnonLIFoRNiA.

Lannuarnucx. y

To aZZ whom it may concerter Be `it known that I,

anni? 1J. BUTLER, a

Ycitizen of the United States, residing at San Jose, inthe county of SantaClara `andState fof California, have inventedeertain new and 1 useful Improvements infLadder-Trucks, of which the following 1s`a specification.

\ This invention relatesto `ladder trucks, and `its object is to produceby means of ladders having special construction and arrangement a structure capable of being elevated and lowered and provided with a plat form at the top when the ladders are raised. It is also an object ofthis invention to provide a third or additional ladder arranged to'eXtend laterally, and to be raised or lowered with the other parts, in order that the truck equippedwwith. this inven- 1 tion may be run up to "aburning building,

having this `invention y applied thereto. `partsare assembled, and the ladders are and the additional or third ladderextended,

"sections, or` a single continuous ladder of `common form.

`The construction and arrangement of parts comprising this invention isset forth in the accompanying drawings, whereof- Figure 1 represents a sideview of the rear portion of a truck having this invention ap` pliedthereto.` All parts appear assembled and the ladders are in itheirlowered positions. Fig. 2 isa cross-section on the line `arf-oa ofFigl to show the movable connection of the foot 0f the secondladder withthe supporting rails on theturntable.` The con- ]nection `of the operating cable with the second ladder is also shown in* Fig. 2.

p Figx is a side view of the rear portion of a truck All shown raised and extended.

Throughout the description and drawings, the same letter is employed to refer to 1 the same part.

` Considering the drawings, a truck A has a turntablea, and upon the turntableare the supporting rails B andapb,` each provided` i Specification of Letters Patent.

rrnn'rrrioii. y

: Patented oct. 6,1914.

i Application filed January 30, 1914. Serial No. 815,472;

witha horizontal series of holessuch as 'the holes C in rail B inFig. l. i

` A `platform D has pivotally connected `with a ladder d. The foot of the` ladder lis pivotally connected with ladder-raising mechanism E, including `aswir'iging arm 6. The mechanism E comprises also a pinion F on the same transverse shaft fwith a sprocket wheel GL A chaing connects the sprocket wheel G with a like wheel H on theV lower transverse shaft h. The shaft h also has a pulley J upon it, `and about the pulley extends theendless operating zcablej, that passesaround the pulley 'K at the other ends of the rails B and b. The cable y'has a connection 7s With the transverse shaft "L, as `best shown in FigQ, which takes the `place of the lowest rungof the ladder M, and upon whichthat ladder may beswung up and down.` The ladderM` is the second lad` der mentioned in this description.` At `the ends of the shaft L are rollers m that run upon the `lower inside `flanges of the rails B` and b, as the ladder M is raisedand lowered.

`A third ladder `N is pivotally .joinedtob the platform D as shown,fand is provided with side braces n, havingbolts O for `the purpose of securing thebracesl fn, in different positions. That `is accomplished bypassing" thebolt O through the bracci andthrough` not shownis similarly provided with abolt `and for the same purpose. The third ladder lN `is providedl with` light but very strong hinged leaves, suchas the leaf P shown in Fig;` l. `These leaves are turnedinwardly when the thirdladder N is eXtended, and constitutea floor `over which a person `may walk safely :to the platform D, even though the ladder may have some inclination up or downwith respect tol theplatform.` Inpractice it isusual to provide `the third ladder N with `a hand rail as illustrated. It is often desirable to raise andlower the third ladder N from the platform'7 "and lforfthat purpose `there is provided on the platform the windlass Q., to take` up and pay out thecable R that has its outer end attached toone of ther rounds.oftheladder Nnear .the outer endl V.of the ladder. i 1 1 i i i `"lhe remaining parts of thiszinvention4 are best described in` connection `with the eX-` planation of the mode of operation. Let it be supposedthat.tlreboltsQO have been re-` moved, thetruclr being inh the position de-f s `1 the holes C in the rail B. `The other brace,`

Ifo'

g as Set out in'Fig. 3, weight upon the platsired, which will free the lower ends of the braces. This'may be quickly done. It will be noted in Fig. l that the ladders d and M in their closed positions are held separated near the platform by means of the spacing and supporting frame S attached to the ladder cl. This arrangement is made to permit the substantially horizontal disposition of the ladders in their closed positions, thus presenting-a more attractive and regular appearanc-e, and, further, it is found in prac` tice relatively easier to start the raising movement of the ladders from such position. In Fig. l is also illustrated the extension T of the foot of the ladder cl, and the balance weight t advantageously employed to aid the raising movement. By means of the crank 'U the shaft f is revolved, and theL pinion F works itsway to the right in mesh with the curved rack u of the ladder-raising mechanism E, drawing with it the foot of the ladder cl, and raising the two ladders d and M into the positions indicated by the broken lines l, 2 and 3 in Fig. 3. ,In Fig. 1 it will bev seen that the transverse shaft f is in a higher position than the pivotal 'junction of the platform I), and, therefore, the drawing of the'ladder l to the right, by means of Vthe crank U, the shaft f, and the pinion F in the rack u, pulls upwardly upon the lefthand end or top of the ladder M, which, as shown in F ig. l, rests at a higher point than its right-hand end or foot. The ladder M cannot slip toward the right, being held by the transverse stop-bar jz/ shown upon the lower edge of the rail B against the connection 1c. The weight t materially assists the -raising ope-ration, and, when special haste is called for, the raising4 and adjusting may be expedited by the hands of thel firemen. Now, the pinion F runs 0E the rack u and against the stop r, and, upon continuing to turn the crank U, the sprocket wheels G and Haconnected by the chain g,-and operating tliecable j, all of which have been moving during the operation just explained, bring the stop V on the cable j, in contact with the connection ic at the foot of the ladder M, and the foot of the'ladder is moved into the position illustrated in Fig.` 3. During the operations of Araising and lowering the ladders d and M, the movements of the feet of those ladders are in opposite directions. It

is believed to be discernible from the foregoing and the drawings that on reversal of the movement of the crank Il, the stop W is brought against the connection ffrom the' other side, and the foot of the ladder M is moved again into the position shown in Fig.

`1. The natural fall of the ladders d and M rengages the pinion F and the rack u, and the ladders may be lowered rapidly or more slowly as desired.`

When the ladders d and M are positioned form D tends to spread lthe ladders farther apart at their feet. Such spreading is resisted, for the ladder el, by the contact of the swinging arm e and the endpiecefw of the rails B and Z). For the ladder M, the spreading stated is opposed by the coupling of the ladder M and the crossbar Y connecting the rail B by bolt O, best shown in Fig. 3. s

The third ladder N, it will be readily understood from the drawings, may be raised 'or lowered by the windlass Q, and, in prac-` tice the outer end of thethird ladder is occasionally provided with a canvas chute re escape Z, of ordinary construction' and operation.

Having now described this invention, and explained the mode of its operation, I claim:

l. In a laddery truck, th-e combination with a turntable,- of supporting rails carried by thevturntable, a movable platform a ladder pivotally connected with one, side of the said platform, a. second ladder pivot-l ally connected with the other side ofthe saidv platform, ladder-operating mechanism constructed to move/ the foot of the firstmentioned ladder, the said mechanismhaving a portion located when the'said ladders have been lowered at a higher point than the junction of the second ladder andthe said platform whereby a pull is applied to the said second ladder and platform to raise them, the foot of the said second ladder having a movable connection with the said suportin rails and means for movino` the foot of the second ladder in the opposite direction to the movement of the foot of the lirst-mention-ed ladder.

2. In a ladder truck, the combinationwith a turntable, of supporting rails carried 'by the turntable, a movable platform, a.

ladder pivotally connected with one side of havebeen lowered higher than the junction of the second ladder and platform whereby a pull is applied to the second ladder and platform to raise them, the foot of the said second1 ladder having a movable connection with the said supporting rails,- and means for moving the foot of the said second ladder in the opposite direction to the movegent of the foot ofthe first-mentioned 'lad- 3. In aladdertruck, the combination with a turntable., of supporting rails carried by the turntable, av movable platform, a ladder `pivotally connected with one side yo-f the 1'30 move the foot of the first-mentioned ladder,` `the said mechanism having a portion losaid platform, a second ladder pivotally Connected with the other side of the said cated When the said ladders have `been lowered at a point higher than the junction `of the said second ladderjand the said plat` `form whereby a pull is appliedto` the said second ladder and platform to raise tllem,`

thefoolt of the said seoondxladder having a movable Connection With` the said rails,`

means for moving the foot of the said sec` `ond ladder, side braces `pivotally connected lat one end With the said'` third-mentioned ladder, and means for eonnectingthe said braces and rails at different points.

4. In a ladder truck, the combination p with a turntable, of sup-porting rails carried by the said turntable, awmova-ble platform, a ladder pvotally connected with one side Copies of this patent may 'be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing zthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D; C.

in presence oftWo Witnesses.

of the said platform, `a second ladderpivotf constructed to move the foot of the firstmentioned a ladder, the said mechanism 1 hav-` ing a portion located when the said ladders have been lowered at a point `higher :than

ally connectedwith `the other side of the said platform, ladder-operating mechanism` `so l the junction `of the sadsecond `ladder and 1 the said platform whereby a pull is applied to the said second ladder andplatform to raise them, the foot of the said second 1ad-;

der having amovable connection .with thev said supporting rails, and means a-Ctuated by the said laddenoperatmg mechanism for l moving the foot of zthe said second ladder after the movement of the foot of `the "said` first-mentioned ladder has been completed.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature p a HARRY J; BUT ER.

lVitnesses:`

W. H. HAsKINs, FAY M. SEEnEm` 

